Experts predict AI will cause the most disruption in the healthcare supply chain industry within the next 10 years.
In April, Global Healthcare Exchange surveyed more than 24 various C-suite roles and senior supply chain executives in U.S. hospitals, health systems and manufacturers. Three in five agreed that implementing AI into daily workflows will significantly improve cost efficiency, quality of care and patient outcomes.
The leaders foresee an increase in payer-provider and other integrated system models, and they expect rising costs to reduce the number of suppliers.
The survey results highlighted four trends to watch over the next decade:
Artificial intelligence
- More than half of respondents said AI will reduce operating costs by 5% annually, beginning 2025.
- More than 50% predict to feel the effect of AI within one to three years.
Integrated health systems
- Seventy percent said competition among integrated health systems will increase during the 2020s.
- More than 4 in 5 respondents said integrated health systems will be the dominant structure in 10 years, and 47% said this will significantly affect the healthcare industry.
Policy influences
- More than 80% expect bundled payments to become the standard for most hospital inpatient services in the next 10 years, and 50% of all respondents expect bundled payments to have a significant impact on the industry.
- Nearly 3 in 4 respondents said U.S. voters will likely approve a single-payer/Medicare for All system, and 42% said this would severely affect the healthcare industry.
Financial pressures
- Seventy percent said national health spending will very likely increase by at least 4% annually for the next three years.
- Half of respondents expect the number of suppliers to decrease during the next one to three years.